Automatic train pipe connector head



Nov. 4, 1941. J. ROBI NSON ,1 I AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTOR HEAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 12, 1938 mvsmor; JOJEPH' ROBINSON ATTORNEY w 2 1 LL e m M 2 Q. m 2 e e h S 2 m m R R/ m 0/. m moon R N E m o WH T sC ID! A N x m o o Jm Rvm i 1 1 F I T A M O T U A Nov. 4, 1941.

- head to the car coupler.

Patented Nov. 4, 1941 UNI E-o,- STATES. PATENT QFFWE lain".o iAinc e ggrgiiir-c v 2 losephqRobinsom N-ew York,;N. ;Y-,, assignor of;

one-half to Roy! M; ,Wolvin.

' Application December 12, 1938,- Serial No. 245,057

This invention relates to automatic trainpipe connectors for railway cars and is as improvement on. the couplingheadshown in my-United States Letters Patent"'#2,141,196, granted December 2'7, 1938. Among the objects is to provide an improved coupling head in which fouling of mating heads when coupling under vertical displacement is minimized. Provision is also made for the effective elimination of foreign substances from the essential coupling or aligning surfaces of the head. The head is short and stubby in longitudinal dimension, and is provided with a centrally arranged seat for interchangeably receiving an automatic lock such as shown in my aforesaid co-pending application, and for receiving also the anchor lug of an interchange device (not here shown) for connecting the head into interchange communication with the hose of a car not having the automatic connector.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figure l is a front elevation of my improved coupling head;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof. In this view an opposing head is shown in dotted lines in the act of coupling under vertical disalignment;

Figure 3 is a vertical section on approximately the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of my improved coupling head;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional plan view thereof through approximately the center of the head;

Figure 6 is a vertical section through the head looking toward the ball or horn C;

Figure 7 is a sectional detail taken on approximately the line 1--1 of Figure 1, and

Figure 8 is a front view of my improved coupling head modified to receive a plurality of electrical conduits. In this view the horizontal centers of the ball and funnel are dropped and lie in the plane occupied by the center of the steam port 14 of the head.

My improved head A comprises a base Ill in which one or more ports ll, l2 and 14 are provided, the central or air brake port l2 being surrounded by a shank 15, Figures 4 and 6, adapted to receive a suitable support for attaching the Extending downwardly from the steam port I4 I provide a lug 16 to engage a complementary lug of an opposing head in coupling under vertical disalignment to cause the heads to rock into position without jamming, Figure 2. The guiding means for my improved head comprise the wide, shallow funnel B located on one side, of the vertical centerline of the head andthe short stubby ball member C located on the opposite side of such center of the head. These parts are adapted to mate with complementary parts of an opposing head when coupling, and serve to bring the ports ll, 12 and [4 into accurate alignment and retain them in such position under the influence of the buffer springs commonly used with automatic train pipe connectors. The ball member includes a horn or base 11 on which the curved guiding face I8 or plate is mounted as by pressing its shank l9 into a bearing on the member l1, Figure 5. The ball member is hollow to receive a suitable lock, generally such as shown in my aforesaid co-pending application, for anchoring mating heads together, bearings 20 and 2| being provided on the outer and rear side of the ball member C to pivotally receive the lock. An opening 22 is provided on the inner wall of the horn to permit the lock to move from inside the horn to the exterior thereof into locking engagement with the seat 23, Figure 5, of an opposing head. The apex of the funnel is grooved at 24, Figure 1, to permit the lock to rotate into its seat 23, this groove and seat serving also to lockingly receive an interchange dummy such as shown in my co-pending application Serial #252,060, filed January 21, 1939. Through the apex of the funnel I provide an opening 25 so large that it effectively prevents lodgement of snow and ice in the funnel. Into the opening I extend three powerful lugs 26 equally spaced around the opening 25 and formed integral with the funnel on its rear side, Figure 4. These lugs are narrow faced to present a minimum surface for the accumulation of snow, ice and other foreign substance which might interfere with the effective seating of the face I8 of the ball member C, on the seats. The inner edge 21 of the funnel curves partly around the adjacent ports ll, l2 and I4 and is farthest from the apex at points above and below the center port [2, as shown in the sectional detail, Figure '7. These are the areas in which the greatest lateral coupling range of the head is desired. The U shaped pilot or web 28, Figure 6, formed integral with the head A on the rear side thereof, and leading from the shank l5 downwardly on either side of the steam port 14, not only reinforces the head but serves as an essential guide for the front end of the removable steam fitting shown at 48, Figure 2, of my aforesaid copending application Serial #741,987, filed August 29, 1934, when such fitting is placed in the head.

The modification shown in Figure 8 lowers the center of the ball member C and the funnel B to the horizontal plane occupied by the center of the steam port I4, and provides a wide face or flange D on top of the funnel and ball member for suitably receiving a plurality of electrical conduits 29 of any desired type. In this construction of my improved coupling head certain parts of the automatic lock hereinbefore referred to occupy the opening 30 and bearings 3|.

Among the advantages of the very shallow formation of the funnel B, and the short stubby formation of the ball member C of my improved coupling head, is that it permits the car couplers of equipped cars to enter far into the coupling act before my improved connector head is called upon to do any aligning. In this way much of the aligning act is caused to be done by the car couplers. Maximum clearance is also provided by my improvement for trainmen passing in between adjacent uncoupled cars. Economy of manufacture, and great strength with compactness is obtained.

What I claim is:

An automatic train pipe connector coupling head, comprising in combination, a base, means for aligning the head with a companion head, said means including a hollow ball member on one side of said base and a funnel on the other side thereof, vertically spaced bearings formed on said ball member for pivoting a double-lever automatic lock for locking mated heads together, two of said bearings being located in a pair of spaced lugs that project laterally outward away from the ball portion of said ball member, the

' other of said bearings being formed in the vertically spaced walls of the base portion of said ball member adjacent the base of said coupling head, a port formed in said coupling head base to removably receive a fitting adapted to be removably mounted therein, and a rearwardly extendingoutwardly flaring U shaped guide spanning said port and formed integral with said coupling head base on the rear side thereof for guiding said fitting into said port.

JOSEPH ROBINSON. 

